1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steep-back vehicle having an open body.
2. Background Art
EP 0 989 009 B1 describes a steep-back vehicle having a multi-part roof. The roof parts of the roof are adjacent to one another and cover a roof section when the roof is closed. The roof adjoins a rear section opposite the direction of forward vehicle travel. A rear closure such as a door or a tailgate is associated with the rear section. For opening the roof, the roof parts may be moved to the rear along roof beams in sliding guides to be combined into a roof part stack. The roof part stack as a whole may be transferred to a stored position. In the stored position, the roof part stack may be lowered into the part of the rear door or tailgate situated below the rear window, or in a receptacle in the floor region of the vehicle. When designed as a rear door, the rear closure associated with the rear section is laterally hinge-mounted and swivelable to the rear. Various solutions are proposed for the design of the rear closure as a tailgate, such as swivel capability of the tailgate to the rear and downward when the swivel axis is in the floor region, or to the rear and upward when the swivel axis is at the roof level.
In conjunction with vehicles having a pontoon-shaped body with an open body having a rear trunk covered by a trunk lid, the roof is stored in the trunk. The trunk lid swivels to the rear and upward in a service position, i.e., swivelled out forward and upward for loading of the roof. For two-way swivel capability of the trunk lid, a supporting frame is associated with the underside of the trunk lid. The supporting frame may be swivelled to the rear and upward about a rear swivel axis. The supporting frame on its opposite ends supports the bearing of the trunk lid for swiveling forward and upward about a horizontal transverse axis. In the closed position of the trunk lid, the supporting frame is secured to the vehicle body by the rear swivel axis and a front locking device. The locking device includes a locking part secured to the vehicle body and a latching part fixed to the supporting frame. To open the trunk lid into its rearward and upwardly swivelled position providing access to the storage compartment for the folding roof, the supporting frame is acted upon by an actuating device. The actuating device as it makes contact in the opening direction of the supporting frame opens the locking part by a corresponding control connection, thereby releasing the latching part associated with the supporting frame. In order to open the locking part by the control connection in the opening direction of the supporting frame by coming into contact with the actuating device designed as an actuating cylinder, the actuating cylinder is supported on the vehicle body side by a rotary sliding guide, by which the control connection acts upon the locking part when the actuating cylinder is under appropriate load, and the locking part may be opened in its rearward and upwardly swivelled position when the supporting frame swivels (DE 195 16 876 C1 which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,331).